Sunday, December 9, 2007

This has been a good Sabbath day. It started early for me...5 AM. That's when my body thinks I should get out of the sack. This morning I tried talking to my body, telling it, "No, no...you do NOT need to be up yet..." and rolling back into my warm blankie nest. But no...I really was wide awake by then, reviewing my day, my week my LIFE...so up I got.

The cat was glad to see me. He meowed his full, rich, throaty come-hither meow, to lure me over to his empty dish. It's not the food he wants so much as a brush of that burnished orange fur coat he wears.

I have been reading the book Opening The Seven Seals--The Visions of John the Revelator by Richard D. Draper, because that's where we are in our Sunday school lessons--the very last book in the bible, the book of Revelation. No one understands that book easily. Understanding comes with a very high price--prayer AND study. I'm at that time in my life when I can study, and it's been fun and very enlightening. Our computer is now back in the basement and I needed to look up some words while everyone else was still sleeping. I turned on the new Christmas-y lights down here, turned on beautiful music, and studied. That was the fun way my day started out. I absolutely love studying the gospel. Guess what? It's TRUE!

By the time I was ready to get up from hunching over the computer and move about, Darwin was up. We had a cozy morning washing last night's dishes together and fixing a BIG breakfast. (Think oatmeal, boiled eggs, grapefruit, tomatoes (for me), whole grain toast from some extra-yummy whole grain bread that even has sunflower seeds in it from Costco. Julianne came dragging out of her room when the kitchen was all clean and filled with food smells. I had fixed enough for her, too, so it was okay! It was fun eating in the sunshine that poured through the front window. It's been cloudy for days.

Then it was into the shower then off to choir practice for me.

Can I just say right here how I love singing in choirs? I must be honest and say that the ward choir is not quite like singing with the Lieto Voices choir...but it was still fun to work on our Christmas cantata. Kelli Beatty is leading it, because we're taking turns now, so I got to sing. Our former Bishop, Rick Beatty was able to come to choir--and I see he's already sporting a beard and a mustache. Facial hair must be the first order of the day for released Bishops!

Darwin, Julianne, and I went to the 9th Ward to Sacrament meeting, because Annette Van Dam Houston's son, Nate, was having his missionary farewell. That ward was packed, half with Samoan/Tongan people. It was fun seeing so many brown-skinned folks. Their Primary children sang a song--and at least half the faces were brown. They were so adorable. John Houston sang a song, and he was so toned down for Church!!!!

It has been the most beautiful fall. I think I say that every year, but I really MEAN it! Our pear tree is deep orange tinged with red. There are still leaves on many trees, but many are finally barren what with the winds we've had, the rains, and the cold weather. Yesterday when Darwin and I were driving home from St. George, the temperature changed 20 degrees in a half hour. It was clear up to 59 degrees when I came out of my LietoVoices practice...It felt so warm I opened the sun room of the Santa Fe while I drove, to enjoy the clouds. By the time I picked Darwin up from work, we went to Costco, and then were driving home, the temperature was down to 39...and it had clouded up and was raining like crazy again. We have had the best rainstorms for the past few days. We've been blessed. Thank you , Heavenly Father.

This afternoon, I cooked crockpot chicken because it's handy to let it simmer while we're in Church--the recipe that calls for cream cheese, Italian dressing mix, etc. and makes a wonderful creamy gravy for rice or whatever--and we had fresh French-style green beans and lightly steamed carrots, and a fresh green salad chock full of good things. Kendall came over, Aaron showed up later, we had the fire on, and it was cozy! We watched an old Christmas movie, "Christmas in Connecticut" with Barbara Stanwyck--and Kendall made chocolate cookies. Ah, food!

Everyone just came downstairs for prayers and found me at this blog. Julianne is now all snuggled up on the Lovesack...and everyone else is talking about hair dye while I type. Dad is wondering why I don't use "Especially for Men" haircolor like Aaron. I'm going now. It's been a GOOD day. (Oh. Our hometeacher came today, too. I love him...Ruel Hopkins, the fake George Gobel. He's a good guy.)

Monday, December 3, 2007

It must be because I've entered a new decade with my 6oth birthday just past. Or it could be that my kids and my job force me into technology whether I want to go on the journey, or not. But here I am, starting my career as a blogger. HECK, I don't even know what bloggers are supposed to do!

I went furniture shopping over the weekend, with Janna and Julianne. Kendall and Darwin were gone to Salt Lake to a Jazz game, so there were no men around to stop the fun. We girls had a blast, browsing through Tai Pan Trading Company, oohing and ahhing over the Christmas decorations, going to the health food store and scarfing up free samples while waiting for the scooter contest (you had to be there to win. We lost!), strolling through Boulevard Home Furnishings while trying to find the perfect couch. Speaking of the perfect couch--my criteria this day was all about saving money. A saleslady told us that there was a Saturday Special going on that would ONLY be for that day...a sofa, a loveseat, and three tables (end and coffee) for only $499. It really was a good deal, because we even liked the furniture. So in the end, I went for it. Now I'm having a little buyer's remorse, because I can't even remember what the darn things looked like. Will they be cheap and trashy when I look at them tomorrow when they are delivered? Will I regret not paying more for what I REALLY want? Oh, life was ever thus--good deals warring with aesthetics.

They will deliver the furniture tomorrow. Kendall will help move things about to accommodate the new stuff. We will finally pitch the couch in the tv room downstairs--the Naugahyde one with the big rips that are taped--and the whole thing covered with a rather jaunty slipcover that Janna bought to make us look decent. The yellow flowered couches will be stuffed downstairs. Will they fit? We'll see. I am excited, yet nervous.

About Me

I love people: Old ones, young ones, and all ages in-between. If you are a person and you are reading this, guess what? I LOVE YOU, you lucky dog! I adore my family most of all...and can I just say right here that grandkids really ARE the best? I am married to Darwin Gifford. Since there's only one of this wonderful man, you're out of luck. I got him first. We've been married 40 years now, and they truly are the best years of my life. We were blessed with 7 super-intelligent, talented and loving children: Aaron, Andrew, Katie, Janna, Shauna, Kendall, and Julianne.